Violence Against Women Denounced by Australian Bishops

Listen to & Learn from Women

The United Nations commemorates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November. To help the Catholic community to get involved, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference issued a statement on violence against women. They say that it has no place in society and call on the whole community to take action.

This is the first time that the Australian Bishops have made a statement for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Their action demonstrates that this is not a ‘women’s issue’ but a concern for all men and women.

The Bishops say that the first thing to do is to listen to and learn from women. They offer five other suggestions for action.

Six Ways to Act to Stop Violence Against Women

The Australian Bishops suggest these ways of supporting action to eliminate violence against women:
• Listening to women and learning from women
• Learning about the issue of domestic violence
• Challenging language that degrades women
• Learning to identify and oppose gender harassment and violence in your community
• Supporting local women’s programs
• Examining how your own attitudes and behaviour might contribute to the problem